Topps Update Baseball
Topps Update is an annual baseball card release from Topps that is typically released after the season has concluded. During the baseball season, players are traded from one team to another and many rookies get their first taste of major league service after September call-ups when the active roster size increases. Also the major league baseball draft is typically held in the summer, again adding players to major league organizations. Finally the playoffs and World Series are held after the majority of baseball card releases have already been distributed, much less designed and printed. In order to capitalize on collectors wanting cards of star players changing teams, Topps began including Traded players in the sixth series of the 1972 Topps set. This was part of the normal series of cards, but included 7 players who were traded during the season including Steve Carlton, Joe Morgan, and Frank Robinson. More players than just those 7 were traded during the season, but the minor trades were not included. In 1974, Topps included some Traded cards in the later printing rounds of the 1974 Topps set. That was the first year that Topps printed the entire set in one 660 card series and simply kept printing throughout the season. This 44 card set (43 players and a checklist) would become the first insert "Traded Set". In 1976 Topps repeated this practice. But in 1981, Topps began releasing the Traded set as a fully standalone product. 1981 was also the first year to include rookies who had not been in the main flagship release (thus beginning the XRC cards). The set has been released annually since 1981 except for 1996, 1997, and 1998. Over the years these sets have been available in factory set form or in packs and structurally have grown to include members of Team USA, draft picks, postseaon highlights, and All-Star Game festivities. Topps also has varied the name over the years: Topps Traded, Topps Traded & Rookies, Topps Updates and Highlights, and Topps Update Series. 1972 Topps 1974 Topps Traded 1976 Topps Traded 1981 Topps Traded 1982 Topps Traded 1982 Topps Traded 1983 Topps Traded 1984 Topps Traded 1985 Topps Traded 1986 Topps Traded 1987 Topps Traded 1988 Topps Traded Image:1988 Topps Traded Fact Set.jpg|1988 Factory Set Image:1988 Topps Traded Base 066.jpg|1988 Base Card 1989 Topps Traded 1990 Topps Traded Image:1990 Topps Traded Set.JPG|1990 Factory Set Image:1990 Topps Traded 071.JPG|1990 Base Card 1991 Topps Traded Image:1991 Topps Traded Retail Set.JPG|1991 Retail Set Image:1991 Topps Traded 069.JPG|1991 Base Card 1992 Topps Traded 1993 Topps Traded 1994 Topps Traded 1995 Topps Traded 1999 Topps Traded 2000 Topps Traded 2001 Topps Traded Image:2001 Topps Traded Box.JPG|2001 Hobby Box 2002 Topps Traded 2003 Topps Traded 2004 Topps Traded 2005 Topps Updates and Highlights Image:2005 Topps Update Box.JPG|2005 Hobby Box Image:2005 Topps Update Base 110.JPG|2005 Base Card Image:2005 Topps Update AS Stitch DW.JPG|2005 All-Star Stitches Card 2006 Topps Updates and Highlights Image:2006 Topps Update HTA Box.jpg|2006 HTA Box Image:2006 Topps Update AS Stitches DW.jpg|2006 All-Star Stitches Card 2007 Topps Update 2008 Topps Update 2009 Topps Update 2010 Topps Update Image:2010 Topps Update Hobby Box.jpg|2010 Hobby Box Image:2010 Topps Update AS Stitch APU.jpg|2010 All-Star Stitches Card 2011 Topps Update Image:2011 Topps Update Hobby Box.jpg|2011 Hobby Box Image:2011 Topps Update Base 057.jpg|2011 Base Card Image:2011 Topps Update AS Jersey 18.jpg|2011 Stitch Card Image:2011 Topps Update TB Patch JB.jpg|2011 Throwback Patches Image:2011 Topps Update Next60 AU FF.jpg|2011 Next 60 Autographs 2012 Topps Update 2013 Topps Update Image:2013 Topps Update Hobby Box.jpg|2013 Hobby Box Image:2013 Topps Update Base 087.jpg|2013 Base Card Image:2013 Topps Update AS Base.jpg|2013 Stitch Card Image:2013 Topps Update FF 15.jpg|2013 Postseason Heroes 2014 Topps Update 2015 Topps Update Image:2015 Topps Update Base 033.jpg|2015 Update Base Card Image:2015 Topps Update AS Single Base.jpg|2015 All-Star Stitches Card Image:2015 Topps Update Etched Bronze.jpg|2015 Etched in History Bronze 2016 Topps Update Image:2016 Topps Update Base 280.jpg|2016 Base Card Image:2016 Topps Update AS Single Base.jpg|2016 All-Star Stitch Card Image:2016 Topps Update Own Front.jpg|2016 Own The Name Card 2017 Topps Update 2018 Topps Update Reoccurring Topps Traded/Update Insert Sets Category:Topps Update Baseball Card Sets Category:Topps Traded Baseball Card Sets Category:Baseball Card Sets